Adolescent Health

Many programmes that provide HIV/STI prevention services to FSWs reach women only after they self-identify as
sex workers, leaving women prior to and within the very early stages of formal sex work vulnerable to infection.
The Transitions project aimed to better understand the risks and vulnerabilities of adolescent girls, young women,
and young self-identified sex workers to inform the design and expansion of HIV prevention programmes in
Kenya.
Preliminary results show that among the study’s respondents there was high prevalence of HIV, with most infections acquired very early; high burden of early and ongoing sexual, reproductive, and structural vulnerabilities; and high uptake of HIV testing but low access to HIV programmes. Results also indicate that respondents’ sex partners were met in the same locations where FSWs meet clients.

Funder: The Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Study partners: NASCOP and the International Centre for Reproductive Health